USING A FIRST DEVICE TO VERIFY WHETHER A SECOND DEVICE IS COMMUNICATING WITH A SERVER

• US 20080119276A1
• Filed: 11/16/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Alderucci, Dean P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,068,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00

Abstract

A server may provide activities and/or services through a first device. To verify whether the first device is communicating with the server, a value may be determined and sent to the first device, via the server. The value may be sent in response to receiving a request/command from a second device, and may be determined using another value received from the second device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a gaming device, in which the gaming device, together with a gaming server, is operable to provide a player of the gaming device with at least one gaming activity;

receiving from a verification device a first indicator;

using the first indicator to determine a second indicator; and

sending the second indicator via the gaming server to the gaming device.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the verification device comprises a device operable to receive the first indicator and to convey the first indicator to a computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the at least one gaming activity comprises at least one of:

a gambling activity,

wagering on an event,

a lottery activity, and

a non-gambling activity.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the gaming device, together with the gaming server, is also operable to provide to the player at least one convenience service.

5. The method of claim 4, in which the at least one convenience service comprises at least one of:

a restaurant service,

an entertainment service,

a hotel service,

a money management service,

a news service, and

a financial exchange service.

6. The method of claim 1, in which determining the gaming device comprises using identification information to determine the gaming device.

7. The method of claim 6, in which the identification information comprises at least one of:

a name of the player using the gaming device,

security information associated with the player,

a tracking value assigned to the gaming device, and

a name assigned to the gaming device.

8. The method of claim 1, in which using the first indicator to determine the second indicator comprises using the first indicator to select the second indicator from a plurality of information.

9. The method of claim 8, in which using the first indicator to determine the second indicator further comprises using identification information to determine the plurality of information.

10. The method of claim 8, in which the plurality of information comprises at least one of:

player security information,

information related to one or more gaming activities engaged in by the player,

information related to one or more convenience services engaged in by the player, and

credit information associated with the player.

11. The method of claim 1, in which the second indicator comprises at least one of:

player security information,

information related to one or more gaming activities engaged in by the player,

information related to one or more convenience services engaged in by the player, and

credit information associated with the player.

12. The method of claim 1, in which the second indicator comprises at least one of:

personal information associated with the player, and

a value specified by the player.

13. The method of claim 1, in which the second indicator comprises at least one of:

one or more names of one or more gaming activities engaged in by the player,

one or more locations at which the player engaged in one or more gaming activities,

one or more obtained skill levels of one or more gaming activities engaged in by the player,

one or more amounts wagered in one or more gaming activities engaged in by the player,

an average volume wagered by the player in connection with one or more gaming activities,

one or more monetary outcomes in one or more gaming activities engaged in by the player,

one or more win-lose outcomes in one or more gaming activities engaged in by the player, and

a sequence of events in one or more gaming activities engaged in by the player.

14. The method of claim 1, in which the second indicator comprises at least one of:

a reservation made by a player,

an appointment made by the player,

an item purchased by the player,

a cost of an item purchased by the player, and

a deposit amount associated with a reservation made by the player.

15. The method of claim 1, in which the second indicator comprises at least one of:

a credit amount of the player, and

a transaction history of a credit account of the player.

16. An apparatus comprising a computing device operable to perform the method of claim 1.

17. A method comprising:

receiving from a verification device a request to verify that a gaming device is in communications with a gaming server, in which the gaming device, together with the gaming server, is operable to provide a player of the gaming device with at least one gaming activity;

determining the gaming device;

determining an indicator; and

sending the indicator via the gaming server to the gaming device.

18. The method of claim 17, in which determining the gaming device comprises using identification information to determine the gaming device.

19. The method of claim 17, in which determining the indicator and sending the indicator comprise determining the indicator and sending the indicator in response to receiving the request.

20. The method of claim 17, in which the indicator is a second indicator, and in which the method further comprises:

receiving from the verification device a first indicator; and

in response to receiving the first indicator, sending the second indicator via the gaming server to the gaming device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining the second indicator in response to receiving the first indicator.

22. The method of claim 20, in which the first indicator comprises a command to send the second indicator via the gaming server to the gaming device.

23. The method of claim 17, in which determining the indicator comprises determining the indicator from a plurality of information.

24. The method of claim 23, in which determining the indicator further comprises using identification information to determine the plurality of information.

25. The method of claim 23, in which determining the indicator from the plurality of information comprises randomly selecting the indicator from the plurality of information.

26. The method of claim 23, in which determining the indicator from the plurality of information comprises selecting the indicator from a predetermined one or more of the plurality of information.

27. The method of claim 23, in which the plurality of information comprises at least one of:

player security information,

information related to one or more gaming activities engaged in by the player,

information related to one or more convenience services engaged in by the player, and

credit information associated with the player.

28. The method of claim 17, in which the indicator comprises at least one of:

player security information,

information related to one or more gaming activities engaged in by the player,

information related to one or more convenience services engaged in by the player, and

credit information associated with the player.

29. An apparatus comprising a computing device operable to perform the method of claim 17.